Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit
by Warriorcat890
Summary: The omen claims that Briarlight will destroy him... but what if Jayfeather doesn't care? A JayXBriar fanfic.
1. Prologue

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Prologue_

_Okay, yes! I do have another fanfic entitled "The Forbidden Fruit" and it is a Twilight fanfic. Okay, I know totally ripping off my other story. However, I would like to point out that I DID NOT THINK OF THE TITLE!_

_Yes, I am writing this story for a friend of mine on another website. She made up the title and gave me the plot of Jayfeather and Briarlight forbidden romance. I'm just creating the rest of the plot and writing it all down. I'm only doing it because she's a great friend and fan of my other Warriors fics, and I do like Jayfeather. So, this was born._

_Okay, okay, disclaimers... Can't live with them, can't live without them. I do not own any of the characters and settings in this story created by Erin Hunter. The characters that I **have** created belong to me._

_Now that the formalities are out of the way, I present you with the Allegiances! Don't worry, the prologue is further down. Just keep scrolling. :)_

* * *

_**Allegiances**_

**ThunderClan**

Leader: Bramblestar – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Squirrelflight – dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Jayfeather – gray tabby tom with blind, blue eyes

Warriors:

Brackenfur – golden brown tabby tomcat

Sorreltail – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Cloudtail – longhaired white tom with blue eyes

Thornclaw – golden brown tabby tom

Brightheart – white she-cat with ginger patches

Leafpool – light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

Apprentice; Amberpaw (ginger she-cat)

Spiderleg – long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Birchfall – light brown tabby tom

Whitewing – white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose – cream-colored tom

Hazeltail – small gray-and-white she-cat

Mousewhisker – gray-and-white tom

Lionblaze – golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Cinderheart – gray tabby she-cat

Foxleap – reddish tabby tom

Icecloud – white she-cat

Apprentice; Snowpaw (white tom)

Toadstep – black-and-white tom

Briarlight – dark brown she-cat

Blossomfall – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat

Bumblestripe – very pale gray tom with black stripes

Dovewing – pale gray she-cat with blue eyes

Ivypool – silver-and-white she-cat with dark blue eyes

Moleclaw – brown-and-cream tom

Seedfall – very pale ginger she-cat

Lilyheart – dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Queens:

Poppyfrost – tortoiseshell she-cat; mother of Berrynose's kits: Graykit (gray tom), and Tigerkit (dark brown tom)

Cherrystripe – ginger she-cat with blue eyes; mother of Foxleap's kits

Elders:

Dustpelt – dark brown tabby tom

Millie – striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Graystripe – longhaired gray tom with pale yellow eyes

* * *

**ShadowClan**

Leader: Blackstar- very old large white tom with jet-black paws

Deputy: Rowanclaw – ginger tom

Medicine Cat: Lilystem – pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Apprentice; Fogpaw (white tomcat)

Warriors:

Applefur – mottled brown she-cat

Kinkfur – tabby she-cat with long fur that sticks out at all angles

Crowfrost – black-and-white tom

Apprentice; Falconpaw (gray tom)

Snowbird – pure white she-cat

Ivytail – black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

Tawnypelt – tortoiseshell she-cat

Apprentice; Gingerpaw (ginger she-cat)

Owlclaw – light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot – gray she-cat with black feet

Apprentice; Fernpaw (light brown tabby she-cat)

Scorchfur – dark gray tom

Tigerheart – dark brown tabby tom

Pinenose – black she-cat

Ferretclaw – cream-and-gray tom

Starlingwing – ginger tom

Apprentice; Runepaw (ginger tom)

Tansyfoot – tortoiseshell tom

Snakefang – black tom with green eyes

Talonfur – ginger tom with white underbelly

Yewpelt – golden tom

Queens:

Dawnpelt – cream-furred she-cat; mother of Ferretclaw's kits: Juniperkit (gray she-cat), Whitekit (white tom), and Deerkit (brown tabby tom)

Elders:

Oakfur – small, brown tom

Smokefoot – black tom

Toadfoot – dark brown tom

* * *

**WindClan**

Leader: Onestar – brown tabby tom

Deputy: Crowfeather – dark gray tom

Medicine Cat: Kestrelflight – mottled gray tom

Warriors:

Whitetail – small, white she-cat

Swallowtail – dark gray she-cat;

Gorsetail – very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur – ginger tom with white paws

Leaftail – dark tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice; Rabbitpaw (brown tom)

Emberfoot – gray tom with two dark paws

Apprentice; Badgerpaw (large gray tom with white underbelly)

Sunstrike – tortoiseshell she-cat with a large white mark on her forehead

Whiskernose – light brown tom

Furzepelt – gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderfur – large pale gray tom

Moonfur – white she-cat

Lakestorm – black tomcat

Queens:

Sedgewhisker – light brown tabby she-cat; mother of Bouldefur's kits: Lichenkit (brown tom) and Brackenkit (ginger tom)

Nightcloud – black she-cat; mother of Crowfeather's kits: Leafkit (brown tabby she-cat), Dawnkit (cream-colored she-cat), and Ashkit (gray tom)

Elders:

Webfoot – dark gray tabby tom

Tornear – tabby tom

* * *

**RiverClan**

Leader: Mistystar- gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Mintfur – light gray tabby tom

Medicine Cat: Willowshine – gray tabby she-cat

Warriors:

Graymist – pale gray tabby she-cat

Icewing – white she-cat with blue eyes

Minnowtail – dark gray she-cat

Pebblefoot – mottled gray tom

Mallownose – light brown tabby tom

Robinwing – tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Grasspelt – light brown tom

Hollowflight – dark brown tabby tom

Troutstream – pale gray tabby she-cat

Mossyfoot – brown-and-white she-cat

Rushtail – light brown tabby tom

Queens:

Duskfur – brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt – tortoiseshell she-cat

Duckfeather – tortoiseshell-brown-and-white she-cat

Elders:

Dapplenose – mottled gray she-cat

Pouncetail – ginger-and-white tom

* * *

**Animals Outside the Clans**

Smoky – muscular gray-and-white tom that lives in a barn at the horseplace

Floss – small gray-and-white she-cat who lives at the horseplace

Midnight – a star-gazing badger that lives by the sea

Wren – dusky brown tom with amber eyes that lives near the sea

Sol – brown-and-tortoiseshell long-haired tom with pale yellow eyes

Stormfur – dark gray tom with amber eyes, formerly of RiverClan, currently of the Tribe of Rushing Water

Brook Where Small Fish Swim (Brook) – brown tabby she-cat, currently of the Tribe of Rushing Water

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

_"You will be the death of me_

_You will be the death of me_

_Bury it_

_I won't let you bury it_

_I won't let you smother it_

_I won't let you murder it"_

-"Time Is Running Out" by Muse

* * *

_Wind swooshed through the branches overhead_ as a gray tabby tomcat proceeded on his journey. Slowly, he ascended the rocky path that led to the pool of stars. Even though his blue eyes were blind, he knew the path after so many moons of trudging along it that he did not need sight to tell his way. While a normal cat would have been wary and uncertain the darkness, this tom walked along with sure footing. Sometimes he would wonder about the world and how beautiful it truly was. He would wonder about the lake and how vast it appeared. He would wonder about his den, his camp, his clan-mates, and his friends. Only in his dreams could he see, and that was all the more reason to be in a hurry.

It didn't take him too long to reach the pool. Darkness was an everyday thing for him, but even in the daylight, he was wary coming here. He would never forget the one time he was assaulted on his way to share tongues with StarClan. His lips curled back in a snarl as he remembered the insolent brute who dared to attack him on sacred ground. The cat's lineage only further infuriated him, however he knew that the culprit only resented their relation.

The tom tried to push the thoughts of attack away from his mind. This was not the place for hard feelings and anger to be felt; this was a place for answers, and it was answers he needed.

Earlier that day, he had been sitting in his den, going over his herb storage. Even though the season of greenleaf had only just begun, he wanted to make sure that he could harvest as many herbs as possible before they had a cold front. He was just trying to calculate how much marigold he would need to gather during the warm weather when his brother, Lionblaze, entered the den. Lionblaze told him that he had been out on a patrol and found it. He thought that it might be some sign from StarClan… and he was right. Lionblaze had brought him a briar that had a jay's feather tangled within it. However, the feather was almost entirely destroyed, bent, and broken.

The first thing that the tom thought of was his patient, Briarlight. Moons ago, Briarlight had been trying to save and elder during a storm when a beech tree was struck by lightning and fell into the camp. The tree killed the elder and snapped Briarlight's spine just above her hips. Ever since that fateful day, the poor she-cat had been crippled and could only resort to dragging herself around by her forepaws. Now, Briarlight was spending all of her time in the medicine cat den, helping the tom with his duties. She had proved herself to be a reliable asset rather than the liability and burden they all thought she would become.

If the jay's feather was tangled amongst the briar and completely destroyed, was than an omen saying that Briarlight would try to kill him? The tom shook his head. He refused to believe that the innocent, unfortunate she-cat would hold enough malice inside her to want to hurt him. Besides, what would she even be accomplishing by doing so? That was out of the question, but the tom had no idea what else it could mean.

As he reached the pool that reflected the stars, he let out a sigh. Less than a moon ago, he had been here with the other Clan medicine cats during the half-moon to speak with their warrior ancestors. The tom supposed that he could have waited until the next half-moon, but he was too confused and too eager to learn the meaning of the sign.

He plodded forward until he reached the water's edge and inhaled deeply. The hollow around him smelled of stars—they had a unique, very pure and fresh smell that the tom could never describe. He bent down and lapped up some of the water before lying beside the pool and closing his eyes.

With the speed that it all happened in, the tom could have been blinking, for when he opened his eyes, he was in a misty forest with stars caught in the leaves of the trees above his head. "Greetings, Jayfeather," a familiar voice greeted.

Jayfeather turned to see a flat-faced, scarred gray she-cat with orange eyes. In the waking world, Jayfeather was blind, but in his dreams, he could see. He gazed at the former ThunderClan medicine cat fondly. "Greetings, Yellowfang," he returned the pleasantry.

"You're early," Yellowfang observed, sitting down and curling her fluffy tail around her paws.

Jayfeather dipped his head. "Yes. The other day, Lionblaze found a sign that I think might have a double meaning. I wanted to know whether or not StarClan sent it."

Yellowfang's whiskers twitched but not in amusement. "What was the sign of?"

"There was a cluster of briars, and then there was a jay's feather tangled within, but the feather was mangled and almost totally destroyed… Do you have any idea what it could mean?" Jayfeather inquired carefully.

The former medicine cat's face darkened. She let out an irritated sigh. "Most StarClan warriors will not appreciate me telling you this," she murmured. "But I feel that since it does concern you, that I should tell you. The briars symbolize Briarlight and the jay's feather symbolizes you… Something will happen between the two of you that will destroy the only life you know."

Jayfeather's eyes widened. "But what could Briarlight possibly do that would hurt me?"

"It will be a bittersweet pain… one that I have known," Yellowfang answered, avoiding his question.

"Yellowfang!" Jayfeather hissed in annoyance. "Tell me! Tell me what she'll do!" Yellowfang's image began to fade before Jayfeather had even finished his sentence. He let out a yowl of fury as he woke in the stone hollow of the pool, most of his questions left unanswered.

* * *

A/N: Okay, yes a very _original_ idea I know. Yes, that was sarcasm my friends. But the thing is is that my good friend on another website asked me to write this for her, so I agreed to do it. This isn't going to be my normal kind of fanfic, and this might even have a horrifying ending, but that was just to let you know.

Chapter One is already written and will be posted right after this one, so look forward to it! :D


	2. Chapter 1

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 1_

_This is chapter one. The perspective with alternate between Jayfeather and Briarlight in the upcoming chapters but will remain in third person. :)_

_Okay, I do not own ANY of the characters that are not my own, the settings or the song lyrics._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

_"Sometimes I feel I've got to_

_Run away I've got to_

_Get away_

_From the pain that you drive into the heart of me_

_The love we share_

_Seems to go nowhere_

_I've lost my lights_

_I toss and turn I can't sleep at night_

_Once I ran to you (I ran)_

_Now I'll run from you_

_This tainted love you've given_

_I give you all a boy could give you_

_Take my tears and that's not nearly all_

_Tainted love_

_Tainted love"_

-"Tainted Love" by Marilyn Manson

* * *

**Jayfeather**

* * *

_Dawn was just breaking on the_ horizon as Jayfeather padded into the stone hollow that made up the ThunderClan camp. Fatigue and anxiety morphed together to create his current mood that was anything but happy. Around him, he could hear the hustle and bustle of early camp life as warriors and apprentices woke from their nests and headed out into the clearing of the camp for their day's assignments.

At the base of Highledge, Jayfeather heard Squirrelflight's distinctive voice as she organized the day's patrols with the other senior warriors. A part of him relished the fact that his surrogate mother was deputy and his surrogate father was Clan leader, but he could hardly call them his parents. Many moons ago, Squirrelflight and Leafpool's lies had been exposed and everyone learned the truth about Jayfeather and his littermates. Leafpool, the former ThunderClan medicine cat, had a romance with Crowfeather, the WindClan deputy and he fathered her kits. Knowing that it was against the warrior code, Leafpool gave them to her sister, Squirrelflight to be raised by her and Bramblestar.

Jayfeather shook his head as he remembered slowly uncovering the web of lies first hand and telling his littermates the truth. He and Lionblaze had handled it fairly well, but the revelation nearly catapulted their sister, Hollyleaf, into complete madness. Hollyleaf always tried to so hard to walk the path that StarClan had laid down for her, but this new knowledge made her question herself and her beliefs. In an act of desperation to keep their secret, she killed Ashfur, a warrior who knew of their lineage. However, in the end, she told their secret to all four Clans at the Gathering, and then disappeared. Moons later, she returned and redeemed herself and her crimes. She proved herself to be a loyal warrior, and fighting to defend her Clan and code it upheld. Jayfeather could only look back on his sister with pride for the obstacles she overcame and the tough choices she made.

Not wanting to be bothered by anyone, he quickly retreated to his den surrounded by a thin barrier of brambles. As he plodded inside, the scent of herbs swamped him, but another, sweeter scent dominated them; it was the scent of Briarlight. Jayfeather had always found her scent somewhat intoxicating, but now it was thick in the air and made him weak in the knees.

"Hello, Jayfeather," the voice of the temptress came from the corner of the den where she dwelled, her voice acting like siren.

"Hello, Briarlight," he returned the greeting before rushing to his herb storage. Though he truly had nothing to do there, he just needed to get away from her. Why was she suddenly doing this to him? He had noticed all of those sensual things before, but why was it now so heightened?

Her scent continued to clog his brain making a train of thought nearly impossible as he counted the herbs. "Jayfeather?" she called. "Sorreltail stopped by the den just before you came and asked me to tell you that she wanted you to check on Cinderheart. Sorreltail said that Cinderheart was complaining about pains in her hind-quarters and she wanted you to check everything out."

_As long as it gets me out of here!_ Jayfeather thought somewhat annoyed. He didn't like this new feeling. It felt as if she had some kind of a hold on him as if she could control him. Why had everything changed so suddenly? Things were never like this before. He didn't understand, and that was the frightening part. He didn't know what was going on, and he refused to accept the most obvious scenario.

"I'll go check on her," Jayfeather meowed errantly as he bounded out of his den. Once out in the fresh air, his mind cleared and it felt as if he was finally able to breathe again. He returned the greetings of a few of his Clan-mates as he passed, and enjoyed the warmth of the rising sun on his pelt.

He slid inside the nursery and heard the voices of Poppyfrost's new litter as they mewled of wanting to play outside. "Please mother!" one squealed. Jayfeather could hear the rhythmic sounds his paws made as he jumped up at down.

"Not yet, Graykit!" Poppyfrost meowed tiredly. "Not until the sun is almost at its highest point."

"But we want to go play _now_ Mama!" the other groaned exasperatedly.

Jayfeather avoided the hyper kits and made his way toward Cinderheart's scent. Jayfeather knew that the warrior was truly a former medicine cat from many seasons ago, reincarnated in another body. However, Jayfeather also knew that Cinderheart was his brother's mate and that made her a very important patient. If Jayfeather let anything bad happen to her, Lionblaze would personally skin him. His tawny brother was already panicking enough even though Cinderheart was only a few weeks pregnant.

As he approached, Jayfeather could feel the queen's eyes on him. "How are you feeling, Cinderheart?" he asked casually, sitting beside her.

Cinderheart let out a sigh and the rustling of moss and the shift in her scent told Jayfeather that she'd lain down. "I know my mother came and told you about the pains. I don't think it's anything serious," she mewed dismissively.

Jayfeather carefully ran his paws over her swollen abdomen. "Perhaps," he allowed. "However, there could be something more serious going on. Just let me check."

She hissed quietly, but didn't protest further as Jayfeather continued to check her. "Well, I see nothing out of the ordinary," he told her after a few minutes. "But I still want you to tell me if these pains return or increase—"

"Pains?! What pains?!" a voice nearly yowled.

The gray-furred medicine cat let out an amused chuckle and stepped out of the way as Lionblaze bounded to his mate's side. "Why didn't you tell me you were having pains when I visited you last night?" he asked, licking her cheek.

"I didn't think they were serious," Cinderheart answered simply. "Now calm down, you're making a scene! I'm not the first she-cat to have kits you know!"

Jayfeather nodded in agreement. "Plus, Lionblaze, I think she'll be fine, but I'll monitor her over the next few days."

"Oh, thank you Jayfeather!" the warrior purred in relief.

As Jayfeather exited the nursery, he heard his brother continued to question the poor she-cat about her pains. Suppressing a purr of laughter, he returned to his den to be greeted by Briarlight. "How is Cinderheart?" she inquired conversationally.

"Okay, I think," he answered, padding over to his nest. "Do your exercises and then you can go get something from the pile if you wish. I'm exhausted and I'm planning on taking a nap."

Briarlight sighed and began her exercises while Jayfeather flopped down in his nest. He enjoyed the familiar scent of herbs and moss. This was the one area that didn't harbor even the faintest traces of Briarlight. This was his sanctuary. Shortly after he closed his eyes. Sleep overtook him and he drifted off into a peaceful dream.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please continue to do so! Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and tell me so! Do you like what you've seen here and you wanna see more? Click on my username to see more of my fanfics! :D They need love too.


	3. Chapter 2

_Warriors: The Foribidden Fruit - Chapter 2_

_Okay, this chapter is short, I know. This is Briarlight's POV. I just thought it would be interesting to see what Briarlight thought of Millie and her smothering. Those who have read all of the books understand exactly what I'm talking about... Poor Blossomfall and Bumblestripe. _

_I do not own Warriors, or the song lyrics. The lyrics have little to do with the chapter really, but they are forboding, and this is pretty much stating the Briarlight will give Jayfeather hell and pleasure. XD_

_This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful The Gone Angel who gave this story its first review! :)_

_**Insanlely important announcement! I am starting school as of tomorrow (Aug. 23) and I will not have as much time to write! I have A LOT of fics I am currently working on, and VERY LITTLE time to do all of them. I WILL NOT discontinue any of them, but I WILL NOT be updating quickly (Jayfeather: As if you have been updating quickly anyway! Me: I know). Sorry guys, I ask you all to be patient with me, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me... For what I don't know, but if I ever wrong you, forgive me. :)**_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

_"I'll seek you out_

_Flay you alive_

_One more word and you won't survive_

_And I'm not scared_

_Of your stolen power_

_I see right through you any hour_

_I won't soothe your pain_

_I won't ease your strain_

_You'll be waiting in vain_

_I got nothing for you to gain"_

-"Eyes on Fire" by Blue Foundation

* * *

**Briarlight**

* * *

_A brown tabby she-cat drug herself_ across the stone hollow toward the fresh-kill pile, grunting while she did so. Life had not been exactly easy since the accident with the tree. She was trying to help evacuate the elders' den when the beech tree fell into the center of the camp. The tree that had once nearly killed her, and did take the life of Longtail, a blind elder, was now providing shelter for the warriors. Since the tree destroyed a good bit of the warriors' den, the warriors now used it as their den.

Briarlight smiled triumphantly as she reached the fresh-kill pile while her limp hindquarters bounced along limply behind her. She picked out a plump thrush, hoping to share it with Jayfeather, and turned around to head back to the medicine cat den. "Briarlight!" a familiar voice called. Briarlight both loved and dreaded that voice; it was the voice of her mother, Millie.

Repressing a sigh, she dropped her bird and looked at her mother. "Hello, mother," she whispered, trying to keep any reproach out of her voice.

"Let me help you with that," Millie more stated the offered. Before Briarlight could even protest, her mother snatched up the bird and headed off toward the medicine cat den.

Briarlight bit back a harsh comment and shuffled after her, grumbling. "I'm not some helpless kit," she muttered angrily. She bit back a sigh as she reached the threshold of the medicine cat den. She knew that her mother meant well, but hated all of the attention. She had been this way for many moons know and knew how to take care of herself. She was getting along fine, and Jayfeather was there to watch her every day.

_Jayfeather,_ she thought dreamily. From the moment Jayfeather examined her all those moons ago and ran his soft, gentle paws over her body, she'd had it bad for him. She so longed to feel his paws on her again… She shook her head, scolding herself internally. Jayfeather was a medicine cat for StarClan's sake! These… thoughts she was having about him were hardly appropriate.

"Did you do your exercises like Jayfeather asked you?" Millie inquired, setting the thrush in front of Briarlight's nest.

"Yes mother," Briarlight tried not to groan. Her mother was so demanding it seemed like. Even though Briarlight was mostly past her rebellious teenage phase, she still had that "I-can't-stand-my-mother-anymore-and-if-she-comes-near-me-I'll-claw-her-ears-off" feeling.

Briarlight staggered to her nest and flopped down carelessly, sending a cloud of dust floating into the air. She watched with horror as the cloud drifted toward the sleeping Jayfeather. Briarlight could only observe as Jayfeather woke up sneezing. Millie nearly jumped so high she hit her head on the roof of the den as Jayfeather's first sneeze split the air. "I'm sorry, Jayfeather!" Briarlight mewled quickly, hoping he wouldn't be angry. "I didn't mean to."

When Jayfeather had calmed down, he nodded weakly. "That's okay, Briarlight," he murmured. "It's not your fault."

Millie opened her mouth to say something, but then padded over to her daughter. The she-cat pressed her muzzle to Briarlight's ear in a motherly way before padding of the den. "Thank StarClan she's gone," Briarlight muttered when she was out of earshot.

A chuckle came from Jayfeather's direction, but otherwise, he didn't comment. "I got a thrush and I thought it was big enough that we could share," she told him timidly. She didn't know how he would react, but from the smile the flashed briefly across his face, she guessed it was okay.

"Okay, thank you. That was… very considerate of you," he meowed, lying beside her, their pelts nearly brushing.

Briarlight's breath hitched and Jayfeather shot her a questioning look. After a moment, the medicine cat shrugged it off and took a bite from the thrush. When Jayfeather raised his head, Briarlight bent down and took a bite herself, just overlapping the place where Jayfeather had bitten. Even the thrush tasted slightly like him.

She pulled away and looked at Jayfeather. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a yowl just outside his den. "Bramblestar! Bramblestar!" the familiar voice of Foxleap shouted. "ShadowClan warriors coming this way!"

* * *

A/N: Told you it was short.

Hey guys, did you like this chapter? I hope so. Hey! Leave a review and let me know! Oh, and by the way, if you like what you've seen here, click on my username and go to my profile to see more! :)


	4. Chapter 3

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 3_

_First weekend of the school year so got some writing in. :) Sorry Tigerheart fans, but he and Dawnpelt are going to be playing a relatively important part in this story, as is our lovely friend Breezepelt. Yeah, they will play a large part as will Lionblaze, Bramblestar, Squirrelflight, Leafpool, and Yellowfang. Yellowfang especially. She... well you'll understand._

_I don't know when I'll get another update in, but enjoy this one. :)_

_I do not own Warriors. Erin Hunter does._

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"_To get a dream of life again_

_A little vision of the sun in the end_

_But all the choirs in my head sang, no oh oh oh_

_But I needed one more touch_

_Another taste of heavenly rush_

_And I believe, I believe it's so oh oh oh_

_And I needed one more touch_

_Another taste of divine rush_

_And I believe, I believe it's so oh oh oh_

_Whose side am I on? Whose side am I?_

_Whose side am I on? Whose side am I?_

_And the fever began to spread_

_From my heart down to my legs_

_But the room is so quiet, oh oh oh oh"_

-"Breath of Life" By Florence + The Machine

* * *

**Jayfeather**

* * *

_Jayfeather told Briarlight to remain the_ medicine cat den before frantically gathering whatever herbs he would need for any wounds. Outside, he heard cats yowling and scrambling to get into battle stations. _Firestar would—I can't think about what Firestar would do. Firestar's not here…_ Jayfeather thought. As much as he loved his foster father, he never thought that he was truly leader material. However, like any good son/medicine cat, he kept his mouth shut and head down.

"Jayfeather, what do you think they want?" Briarlight's shaky voice called from behind him.

He didn't turn to face her, but he could smell her fear-scent. A part of him wanted to rush over and comfort her. _Wait, what?_ he thought. _Since when do I want to comfort Briarlight? I mean, yeah she's my Clan-mate but this… this is weird._ "Yes, Briarlight?" he inquired carefully, enjoying the strange feeling he received when he spoke her name.

"What do you think they want? Bramblestar seems to be preparing for the worst," she observed. Jayfeather could hear the shuffling of moss as she strained to see a better view of the camp from her nest.

"Well, it's better to be prepared for the worst than unprepared for the least," he mewed casually, hiding a small clump of marigold and cobwebs in a tiny crevice almost unnoticeable.

Briarlight let out a sigh. "I wonder if—" she was cut off by a yowl from the outside of camp. Jayfeather rushed to the entrance of his den, his ears rotating around his head wildly trying to absorb the scene in front of him. The stench of ShadowClan was overwhelming. The pounding of paws sounded like thunder to Jayfeather's ears as ShadowClan warriors burst into the stone hollow only to be met by ThunderClan warriors.

"ShadowClan! Attack!" Blackstar's voice caterwauled. The sounds of fighting cats met Jayfeather's ears as the two Clans charged into battle. Jayfeather could hear his brother's recognizable screech as he too plunged into the fray.

"ThunderClan, attack!" Bramblestar yowled as well from the base of Highledge, running forward.

"Jayfeather!" Briarlight's voice yowled from behind him.

He whipped around to see Briarlight struggling to see. "What's going on?!" she asked, her voice on the edge of hysteria. Unconsciously, Jayfeather rushed to her side and ran his tail along her spine. "ShadowClan is here and they've attacked. Don't worry, Briarlight. I won't let them hurt you," he murmured. He had to stop himself before he nuzzled her ear.

_Where in StarClan did that come from?!_ he growled internally. _Well, she is my patient. She's my patient and I care about her. She's a good friend and I would defend her if I had to. She can't do it for herself, so I will have to. She's my responsibility. I will never let anything happen to her,_ he vowed silently. He didn't know where it came from, or how those unnatural thoughts got there, but he felt better now that he had identified them as friendship. Briarlight was his friend and he cared about her. He would always protect her from everything and anything.

"I know you will, Jayfeather," Briarlight breathed. For a moment, Jayfeather thought he felt her delicate head rest against his flank.

Jayfeather breathed in her delicious scent and moved closer until their fur brushed. He heard Briarlight's breath hitch and suddenly realized how close he was. Clearing his throat, he bounded away from her back to his herb storage. Her scent still clogged his brain, causing his thoughts to carelessly slur together. Trying desperately to rid his brain of Briarlight and block out the sounds of battle and ripping fur, he began to recite the herbs and their uses under his breath like a mantra. "Marigold stops infection. Lavender cures fever…"

"_Jayfeather!_" Briarlight's yowl split the air, breaking him from his thoughts.

Without thinking, Jayfeather rushed back toward the main den. The scent of ShadowClan made him gag, and he faintly recognized the scent of his adopted cousin, Tigerheart. He was close to Briarlight; too close. "Get away from her!" Jayfeather snapped, unsheathing his claws, his neck fur prickling.

"_Jayfeather,_" a voice whispered in his head. It took Jayfeather a moment to recognize it as Yellowfang. "_You are a medicine cat, Jayfeather. Briarlight is technically a warrior still. She is fair game._"

"She is defenseless!" Jayfeather snarled aloud.

"This is for Flametail," Tigerheart growled. Jayfeather could hear Briarlight's gasp and acted on impulse, barreling into his cousin. "You're a medicine cat! You can't attack me!" the warrior hissed in surprise.

Jayfeather stumbled backwards, his blind eyes glaring. "I just did," he answered before striking out. His claws sliced through flesh, but he didn't know from what. A hiss of pain told him that he'd made contact, but when fangs grabbed his scruff, he let out a yowl of surprise.

"Jayfeather, no!" Briarlight gasped. He heard the scuffling as she struggled to get to him and help.

Tigerheart shook him violently from side to side, his fangs digging deeper and deeper into Jayfeather's skin. Finally, the pressure was released, and Jayfeather hit the ground with a thud, disoriented. He didn't know which direction Briarlight was, where Tigerheart had gone or even where the exit of the den was. Shaking his head, trying to gather his thoughts together, he heard a caterwaul of pain and pushed himself to his paws.

"_Let her go, Jayfeather,_" Yellowfang's voice came again. "_If she lives, she will destroy you. Let Tigerheart kill her._"

"NO!" Jayfeather yowled. Blindly, he started toward the combined scent of Briarlight and Tigerheart. _I can't lose her I can't lose her. I cannot lose her!_

His body hit something hard and began ripping and tearing with his claws. "_You will not hurt her!_" he yowled, rage and fury welling up inside him.

Tigerheart stumbled backward. "You're insane!" the ShadowClan warrior hissed before darting out of the den.

Jayfeather and Briarlight remained, struggling to catch their breath. Jayfeather was struggling to maintain his train of thought. He should ask Briarlight if she was injured. Why couldn't he hear her breathing? Was she dead? In fact, he couldn't hear the sounds of the battle outside anymore, or the voices of his Clan-mates. There was a ringing in his ears that slowly began to intensify. A muffled voice called his name, but he couldn't make it out.

"_Jayfeather, you should have let her die,_" Yellowfang murmured. "_You have just condemned yourself to extinction. It was her time, Jayfeather. StarClan was calling her, but you defied their will. Why?_"

"I need her," he whispered. Unable to keep his mind functioning any longer, he collapsed to the ground and slipped into darkness.

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and tell me! Did you like what you've see here, well click on my username to see more! :)


	5. Chapter 4

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 4_

_Yay! Chapter 4 is finally here! Okay, I know that the chapters are short, but there will be many of them. Um... The next chapter will be from Jayfeather's point of view and will deal with Briarlight and the Gathering! :D Bramblestar confronting Blackstar is gonna be good. ;D_

_I do not own Warriors in anyway, the series belongs to Erin Hunter. I just love torturing their poor characters. _

_By the way, Jayfeather's relationship with Half-Moon WILL be addressed. :D Oh I love it. XD_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

"_Waiting for a friend to call_

_and say they're still alive._

_I've given everyone I know_

_a good reason to go._

_I was surprised you stuck around_

_long enough to figure out_

_That it's all alright._

_I guess it's all alright._

_I got nothing left inside of my chest,_

_but it's all alright"_

_-"All Alright" by Fun._

* * *

**Briarlight**

* * *

_"He'll be stable in a few_ minutes," Leafpool mewed, taking a few steps away from Jayfeather.

"Thanks StarClan," Lionblaze breathed nuzzling his brother's ear in a friendly way.

"We cannot let this go unpunished," Squirrelflight growled suddenly, her hackles rising. "Tigerheart had no right to attack him."

Bramblestar hummed in agreement. "Indeed. I will confront Blackstar about it at the Gathering. Then, all of the Clans will see that ShadowClan has once again gone against the warrior code."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Lionblaze growled, raising his eyes to his adopted father.

Briarlight watched them all with wide eyes. Would they really seek punishment on Tigerheart for hurting Jayfeather? She looked down at the gray-furred tom lying on the floor of the den, his fur dried with blood around the back of his neck. _He was just trying to protect me!_ Briarlight thought with dismay. _If only I could learn how to defend myself! Maybe I'll ask Brightheart for some pointers or something. At least I could help Jayfeather defend the medicine cat den._

Leafpool padded over to Briarlight and sniffed her carefully. "Are you injured, Briarlight?" she inquired gently.

She shook her head, testing her moveable extremities. "I don't think so. Jayfeather was just trying to protect me. That's why Tigerheart attacked him."

"He is not supposed to attack a warrior," Leafpool murmured, almost to herself.

"A warrior is not supposed to attack a medicine cat!" Lionblaze snapped at the former medicine cat, his amber eyes blazing. "I might have once thought of Tigerheart as my kin, but now he is my enemy! I have no respect for that no-good, lying son of a badger!"

A groan came from the limp shape on the floor. Briarlight pricked her ears and watched him as he let out a weak cough before sitting up. "Briarlight!" was the first word out of his mouth. "Briarlight… where is she? Is she alright?!"

"She's fine, Jayfeather," Leafpool assured, resting her tail on her biological son's flank. "Relax."

"Where is she?" he demanded, pushing himself to his feet.

"I'm right here, Jayfeather," Briarlight mewed hesitantly, watching him. It warmed her heart to see him worry about her, but it also made her feel guilty. _Jayfeather shouldn't have to worry about me… If I wasn't crippled, I could take care of us both._

Jayfeather cleared his throat as if he was trying to return to a professional manner. "Are you alright? Any serious injuries?"

"No, I don't think so. Tigerheart's claw clipped my ear, but otherwise nothing too bad," she answered, feeling her heartbeat speed up as Jayfeather moved closer.

"Good," he meowed shooting her a small smile before turning to address Leafpool. "Any other serious injuries on other warriors?"

Briarlight watched him speak to Leafpool in awe. Jayfeather never smiled. Ever… but he smiled at her. Her heart swelled three times its normal size, almost making it difficult to breathe. She watched dreamily as Jayfeather and Leafpool left the medicine cat den to check on the other injured warriors.

"I'll kill him," Lionblaze hissed when Jayfeather was out of earshot.

Squirrelflight shook her head. "That is not the answer, Lionblaze," she meowed simply. "Bramblestar will speak with Blackstar about it at the gathering two sunrises from now. Blackstar has more to answer for than the attack of a medicine cat! That attack was completely unprovoked."  
Bramblestar nodded his head solemnly. "Go on, Lionblaze," he said dismissively, flicking his tail toward the entrance.

Opening his jaws to object, Squirrelflight shot him a stern look. Sighing, Lionblaze slunk out of the den leaving them alone. "What would Firestar do?" Bramblestar asked, almost to himself.

"My father would do the same thing you're doing," Squirrelflight encouraged. "Just stick to the plan."

The two mates left the den as well, their tails entwined together. Briarlight watched them go sadly. _Jayfeather and I can never walk with our tails entwined,_ she thought. _I can't even move my tail let alone stand… Jayfeather doesn't like me… how could he? I'm just a burden._

Briarlight closed her eyes and rested her head on her forepaws, trying to block out the noise of the camp. She slipped into a peaceful slumber, dreaming of Jayfeather and the life they could never have.

* * *

A/N: Well, did you like this chapter?! Leave a review and let me know! Did you like you like what you've seen here? Click on my username to see more! :D


	6. Chapter 5

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 5_

_Okay, I know that this chapter is longer than usual. I had to cram a lot of stuff in here, and I'm still not done. The next chapter will also be in Jayfeather's point of view and will still take place at the Gathering. _

_If you were wondering, ShadowClan, Tigerheart, Dawnpelt, and Breezepelt will all play a major part in this fic as well. :)_

_I do not own Warriors, Erin Hunter does. :)_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_"Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck_

_Some nights, I call it a draw_

_Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle_

_Some nights, I wish they'd just fall off_

_But I still wake up, I still see your ghost_

_Oh Lord, I'm still not sure what I stand for oh_

_What do I stand for? What do I stand for?_

_Most nights, I don't know anymore..._

_Oh woah, oh woah, oh woah oh oh_

_Oh woah, oh woah, oh woah oh oh_

_This is it, boys, this is war - what are we waiting for?_

_Why don't we break the rules already?"_

_-"Some Nights" by Fun._

**Jayfeather**

_Jayfeather spent the rest of his_ day going around the ThunderClan camp, checking his Clan-mates for injuries. He couldn't shake that horrific feeling he experienced when he woke from his unconsciousness. The first thought that popped into his brain was Briarlight—he feared that while he had passed out, Tigerheart had returned and killed her. Another thing he couldn't get out of his mind was Leafpool's troubled face as she led him from the medicine cat den to the rest of his Clan-mates.

While he checked over Dovewing, all of these thoughts somehow managed to squeeze into his mind despite his best efforts to block them. The loss of blood he had suffered was already effecting his thought process, and he didn't need anything else floating around in his head. The gray-furred warrior had suffered a deep scratch across her right flank that would probably leave a scar there. "So, Jayfeather," she meowed after a moment.

Doing his best not to groan, he regarded her kindly. "Yes, Briar—I mean Dovewing?" he asked, hissing through his teeth at his mistake. _I have to be more careful,_ he thought angrily. _No one can know that I think about her!_

Dovewing seemed taken aback by his name confusion, but continued cautiously. "I heard there was an altercation in the medicine cat den with a ShadowClan warrior. What happened?"

Biting back a harsh retort about cats minding their own business, Jayfeather took a deep breath. "Tigerheart came into the medicine cat den and tried to attack Briarlight," he mewed simply, trying to keep his voice even despite the rage that burned in his heart. _I swear it on StarClan, if he goes near her again, I will kill him!_ he thought, resisting the urge to flex his claws. His own brutality surprised him. _Where did that come from? I am a medicine cat, I can't be thinking those kinds of thoughts! But… but he can't hurt Briarlight. He can't hurt her._

The she-cat gasped at his words. "_Tigerheart_ tried to kill Briarlight?!" she nearly yowled in outrage.

Jayfeather flattened his ears against his head, irritation prickling through his pelt. "Yes. That lousy excuse for a warrior tried to kill her! She might be a warrior, but she's defenseless!" he began to rant, but stopped himself. If he kept thinking of her and talking about the incident, his true feelings would begin to show.

_But _what_ do I feel?_

"Head over to my den with the more serious injuries. Leafpool and Brightheart are applying poultices to the serious wounds. Just show Leafpool your wound and she'll know what to do," he murmured before moving on to the next warrior.

After checking over all of his Clan-mates, including the queens and elders in his effort to stay away from Briarlight longer, he returned to his den, exhausted. Briarlight said nothing upon his late entry, and Jayfeather was glad for her sudden silence. He could hear her slow, steady breathing and could feel her eyes burning into him as he padded toward his nest, sleep tugging at his paws. "Are you sure you're not hurt?" Briarlight inquired as he flopped down.

He didn't have the energy for a sharp retort, so just nodded.

"You know, I'm thinking about asking Brightheart and Cloudtail to maybe help me train a little. I mean… they developed Brightheart's fighting style so maybe they will be able to help me," she told him, shifting in her nest nervously. Jayfeather could hear the uncertainty in her voice as if she feared that she would upset him.

It was perfectly normal for a warrior to want to help their Clan. If she wanted to fight, she should at least try to do so, but Jayfeather couldn't stop the sharp claws that sank into his chest at her words. _She wants to be a warrior again? Oh, so I'm not good enough, is that it?!_ "Are you sure that is what you want?" he asked quietly; any louder and he feared that his voice might have betrayed the pain he felt.

"Yes," she answered.

"You could always become my apprentice… you could stay here with me…" he tried to convince her. _I shouldn't be doing this,_ he thought angrily. _She's been through so much… She deserves to be happy… but why can't she understand how this is hurting me?_ "I can protect us both… I can… I can't give you very much… but I can make you happy."

She was silent for the longest moment and Jayfeather began cursing himself. _I knew it! I knew it! StarClan darn it all! She'll hate me now. She doesn't feel this… this… I don't even know what it is!_ Finally, she put an end to Jayfeather's silent musings. "I know you can. I'm not leaving you, Jayfeather. I'll never leave."

Jayfeather didn't look at her—it would have been pointless since he couldn't see her—but her words shocked him. "I'll never leave you, either, Briarlight. I will never let anyone hurt you again."

"Why, Jayfeather?" she queried. "Why now? I've been here for so long, so why do you change?"

He let out a small laugh. "Change? I've never changed, Briarlight. I'm still me… I just… I realize know that I do need you. I don't know why or for what… and heck, it might kill me, but I need you. I can't explain it, but I've always felt this way… I've felt this way from the moment you risked your own life to save Longtail… I thought you were the bravest, most selfless warrior I'd ever seen. You're smart, and brave, and kind… and…"

The rustling of moss told Jayfeather that Briarlight was moving. She made her way over to him slowly and lay beside him. "Thank you, Jayfeather," she breathed on his face. Her hot breath and delicious scent clogged his brain. Instinctively, he shifted closer until he felt her warm body press against his. She leaned into him, resting her head on his flank.

"Don't leave, Briarlight," Jayfeather whispered, his heart aching at the thought of losing her.

"Never." And her words sounded like an eternal promise, one that neither of them would dare to break.

* * *

The next evening, Jayfeather sat with the other four medicine cats on the island, awaiting the Gathering to begin. Willowshine sat beside him, chattering about what an awful few months it had been in RiverClan to find tansy while Kestrelflight and Lilystem, the new ShadowClan medicine cat, spoke in hushed tones about a strange outbreak of Whitecough that was breaking out in these late newleaf moons.

Despite the voices of other cats rumbling around him, his thoughts were only concerned with Briarlight. His eyes scanned the clearing searching for a certain brown tabby warrior and not finding him. Horrible thoughts of returning to the camp to find Briarlight lying there, dead in her nest consumed him and made his stomach twist. The rational side of his brain tried to console his troubled side. _Even Tigerheart wouldn't dare break the full moon truce, _he tried to reason.

"This Gathering will now come to order!" Onestar's yowl rung out, calling the attention of all the cats gathered. "WindClan has been doing well in the past moon. Our deputy, Ashfoot, was killed just after the last Gathering defending the Clan from a stray dog. Crowfeather is our new deputy."

Jayfeather's ears perked up at that. Crowfeather, his biological father, was now the deputy of WindClan. He spotted the gray warrior seated at the base of the oak tree, puffing out his chest with pride. Looking around, he noticed, to his relief, that his mother, Leafpool, was not attending this Gathering. _Everyone would probably look at her to see her reaction… but I doubt she'd do anything._

The thought of his lineage made him wince internally. Briarlight came back into his mind. Did the feelings he held for Briarlight break the warrior code or even the medicine cat code? _We're not mates… I mean… we're just really good friends… right?_ he thought. Even his reasoning in his thoughts was weak. He knew it was wrong, and he knew that StarClan would not be happy with him when he visited the Moonpool.

As Onestar finished his update, Bramblestar stepped forward. From his body language alone, Jayfeather could tell that sitting next to Blackstar had ruffled his fur. "News from ThunderClan will come after a moment. Right now, I see this as the perfect opportunity to confront Blackstar," he yowled.

Confused murmurs broke through the WindClan and RiverClan warriors, while yowls of approval sounded from the ThunderClan cats. The ShadowClan warriors muttered harsh words amongst themselves. "Recently, Blackstar attacked our camp. This attack was completely unprovoked, so tell me Blackstar: what was your reason for this attack? Oh, and also include as to why one of your warriors attacked Briarlight, a she-cat who is currently paralyzed from the middle of her back to the tip of her tail. Not only did this warrior attack a defenseless she-cat, but also our medicine cat who was trying to protect his injured patient!"

Shocked yowls erupted from the crowd at this. Jayfeather could feel the eyes of the other cats on him. Nearby, he heard a RiverClan elder whisper to one of his companions, "Looks like ShadowClan is up to their nasty tricks again."

"Agreed," a WindClan warrior meowed, turning around to face the elder. "ShadowClan can't be trusted. You know that Blackstar was Tigerstar's deputy, and Brokenstar's!"

A RiverClan she-cat stepped in between them, her lips curled back in a snarl. "Who are we to judge him?! He fought with us during the battle against the Dark Forest! He fought against his old allies—he has changed."

"And who are we to doubt that he could go back to his old ways?" The WindClan warrior shot back.

"Silence!" Blackstar yowled above the other voices. "This attack was not unprovoked, Bramblestar! If you remember correctly, a moon ago when ThunderClan scent was found on our territory, we warned you that we would be forced to violence if this scent was found again, and guess what, Bramblestar? We found more ThunderClan scent on our territory, so we fulfilled our promise!"

"Border scents blown by the wind do not count, Blackstar!" Cloudtail yowled, his blue eyes burning with rage.

"This scent was found deep within ShadowClan land," Blackstar answered the white warrior, his voice betraying no anger or irritation. "ShadowClan will defend our borders to make sure that no more ThunderClan scent is found."

Bramblestar's hackles rose. "And ThunderClan will make sure that no ShadowClan scent is on ThunderClan land!" he hissed. "We have been scenting ShadowClan scent on our ground as well, Blackstar, but we did not try to kill an innocent warrior, nor did we attack your medicine cat! Those acts were unnecessary and go against any Clan's morals, or are ShadowClan cats as heartless as they are believed to be?!"

Jayfeather could not believe his ears. Was Bramblestar really saying such things about the Clan his own sister belonged to? He finally saw Blackstar's anger as the white-furred tomcat's fur began to bristle and his lips threatened to curl back over his teeth. "Brave words for a cat whose father belonged to this very Clan!"

"My father was a murderer and a traitor! I will never follow him or the weak, pathetic Clan that accepted him and his treachery!"

Furious snarls spewed from the ShadowClan warriors while the ThunderClan cats rose to meet them. Jayfeather's eyes flew to the full moon that shone above them, but it still shone brightly in the sky. _Will StarClan really let a battle happen here?!_

* * *

A/N: DUN DUN DUH! Evil cliffie! I know! I'm so bad! XD

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know. Did you like what you've seen here? Click on my username to see more!


	7. Chapter 6

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 6_

_The plot thickens. What does Lionblaze know about the ThunderClan scent? Will Firestar regret his decision to make Bramblestar leader? What will StarClan have to say to Jayfeather at the Moonpool in Chapter 8? What will Briarlight do? What are Dawnpelt and Tigerheart up to? Is Dovewing a traitor? When will I stop asking these ridiculous, teasing questions and write the next chapter? Who knows._

_I don't own Warriors. Erin Hunter does._

_I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed this story. You are all awesome and I love you. No Warriors story have mine has ever done as good, so thank you for making this possible! :D_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

"_I could be mean_

_I could be angry_

_You know I could be just like you_

_I could be fake_

_I could be stupid_

_You know I could be just like you_

_You thought you were standing beside me_

_You were only in my way_

_You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you_

_You thought you were there to guide me_

_You were only in my way_

_You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you_

_-"Just Like You" by Three Days Grace_

* * *

**Jayfeather**

* * *

_The angry yowls of his Clan-mates_ rose up around Jayfeather as they challenged the ShadowClan warriors. Even Bramblestar and Blackstar who perched upon the oak tree were hissing and spitting at one another. Jayfeather heard Lilystem, another medicine cat hissing while her apprentice, Fogpaw, was snarling in outrage at Bramblestar's words.

"_Enough!_" Mistystar's yowl split the air, bringing an eerie silence to the clearing. Her blue eyes narrowed at the two tomcats, her own lips curled back in a snarl. "Stop this now, both of you! We are warriors not rogues! What Blackstar and his Clan did was wrong, Bramblestar. I agree with you there, but that gives you no right to say such things about his Clan, or have your forgotten your own family roots? Isn't your own sister a member of ShadowClan? Show them respect for her sake at least. Firestar is probably shaking his head in StarClan seeing what you are making his Clan out to be! You all might accuse ShadowClan of returning to their old ways, but there are such things to be said of ThunderClan as well."

"Yes," Onestar chimed in. "How can we be sure that you are not following in your father's paw-steps, Bramblestar?"

No one said anything at this point. Everyone sat rigid, holding their breath and awaiting Bramblestar's reaction. Jayfeather knew that his foster father hated being compared to his father Tigerstar. _All his life, he's tried to get away from his father's reputation… He's spent his entire life trying to prove to the Clans that he is not father… but he's not doing such a good job anymore… Will Bramblestar become obsessed with power like Tigerstar had?_ He knew the answer before he even thought the question. _No. Bramblestar hates his father too much to ever resort to his ways._

Bramblestar's fur bristled in fury and disbelief, but he took a deep breath and allowed it to lie flat. "I am not my father," he replied simply.

Jayfeather wished he could see his surrogate father's expression, but at the same time, was glad he couldn't. He hoped that it wasn't betraying pain.

"Good," Mistystar answered. "Now will you please get along with your Clan's news?"

Bramblestar let out a sigh and proceeded to tell the four Clans ThunderClan's news, and then Onestar did the same. Mistystar finished up the Gathering and they were then dismissed. Lionblaze bounded over to Jayfeather just as he was leaving the cluster of medicine cats.

"I need to talk to you when we get back to camp. Can we meet somewhere in the forest tonight?" he inquired, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jayfeather shrugged. "If you want to," he answered, feeling wary. _What could Lionblaze want?_ "How about at the Ancient Oak?"

"Sounds good," his brother murmured. "I'll see you there. And try to get there as soon as possible." With that, he bounded off to pad along beside Birchfall. Jayfeather listened to his brother as he began speaking with the light brown tomcat. Something wasn't right about Lionblaze and his behavior. Ever since the Great Battle, he hadn't called a meeting with his brother such as this. Jayfeather could also sense that his entire body was tense, and the gracefulness that he normally contained in his gate was gone.

_What is going on with Lionblaze? Is he just mad that ShadowClan dare say such things about ThunderClan, or is he worried about Bramblestar?_

* * *

The first thing Jayfeather did when they returned to camp was go to the medicine cat den to check on Briarlight. To his relief, his favorite patient was safe and sound, asleep in her nest. Resisting the urge to curl up beside her, he just allowed his tail to ghost over her flank, enjoying her delicious scent.

Someone cleared their throat, nearly making Jayfeather jump out of her fur. Leafpool's scent washed over him as he instinctively looked at the entrance. "What do you want?" he demanded, his voice coming out harsher than he had meant for it to.

Leafpool let out a sigh. "Jayfeather," she began and then let out another sigh. "Please, do not make the same mistakes I made. Please. I couldn't bear it to see you in my situation."

His biological mother's words hit him hard as if someone had set a heavy rock on his chest. He knew that she must have seen his sensual exchange with the sleeping Briarlight. "It won't get that far," he said, but he didn't believe his own words. He could no longer deny the feelings that burned in his heart.

"That's what I told myself," Leafpool murmured. "And look what happened."

Biting back a growl, Jayfeather shoved past her and broke into a run. He left the camp, ignoring the guards' questions. So many thoughts were rushing around in his brain; so many feelings were shooting through him, some making his heart grow and others making his stomach twist. After a while, he came upon the scent of his brother and followed it to the Ancient Oak.

"There you are!" he heard Lionblaze exclaim as he approached. "I thought you weren't coming for a while." Lionblaze met him halfway, but Jayfeather could feel the tension in the air.

"Why have you summoned me here, Lionblaze? What is going on?" Jayfeather asked, trying to keep the uncertainty out of his voice.

Lionblaze heaved a sigh of almost sadness and sat down on his haunches. "ShadowClan is stirring up trouble. Dawnpelt and Tigerheart blame you for Flametail's death, that's evident… but why attack Briarlight? That's what I don't understand."

"You called me here to exchange theories about why a Clan with a blood-soaked history tried to kill an innocent she-cat?" Jayfeather snapped, his fur bristling with irritation.

"Blackstar is right though," Lionblaze went on as if Jayfeather hadn't spoken. "ThunderClan scent was on their territory. Just about a week before they attacked, Birchfall and I went on a border patrol and were stopped by a group of ShadowClan warriors. They warned us that if they scented ThunderClan on their territory that they would attack. I took a whiff myself, and I recognized the scent. It was Dovewing."

Jayfeather's blind eyes widened in disbelief at his brother's words. "Dovewing?!" he nearly yowled. "Are you saying that Dovewing caused the battle?"

"Maybe," Lionblaze mewed. "I don't know… why would she go on their territory though? Unless she was meeting up with a ShadowClan cat. Maybe she met one and told them about Briarlight and that she would be an easy target."

Jayfeather was shaking his head before Lionblaze had finished. "Brother, think about what you're saying! This is Dovewing we're talking about. She is loyal to ThunderClan and StarClan. She's one of the Three! She would never break the warrior code!"

_But you're one of the Three,_ a sickening voice sneered in his head. _You're breaking the warrior code. You are no better._

"Perhaps," Lionblaze murmured, rising to his paws once more. "All I'm saying as that we need to keep an eye on her, and our friends across the border… I don't trust them, Jayfeather, I don't think you should either."

Taking a deep breath, Jayfeather looked away from his brother's direction and considered something carefully in his mind before speaking. "When Tigerheart came into the medicine cat den and tried to kill Briarlight, he said that it was for Flametail… Why would he want to hurt her if I was the one who supposedly killed him?"

Lionblaze watched him for a long moment before sighing. "I don't know Jayfeather. I don't know about that… but I do know this: Bramblestar did nothing when we told him about the warning. He didn't believe that any ThunderClan warrior would cross the border. He didn't even organize extra patrols. Jayfeather… I don't think that Bramblestar can be leader of ThunderClan."

Jayfeather said nothing in response and turned to leave. Lionblaze shared Jayfeather's fears of their "father's" capability to lead the Clan. _Oh StarClan,_ Jayfeather prayed silently as he began the trek back to camp. _Please do not let Firestar regret his decision to make Bramblestar leader._

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've like what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more! :D


	8. Chapter 7

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 7_

_ Briarlight POV. Next chapter Jayfeather goes to the Moonstone! :D_

_I do not own Warriors, it belongs to Erin Hunter._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

"_Who made up all the rules?_

_We follow them like fools,_

_Believe them to be true,_

_Don't care to think them through_

_And I'm sorry, so sorry_

_I'm sorry it's like this_

_I'm sorry, so sorry_

_I'm sorry we do this"_

"_They" by Jem_

* * *

**Briarlight**

* * *

Briarlight was waiting patiently for Jayfeather's return in their den. Brightheart and Cloudtail had visited her earlier in response to her request to train with them. Cloudtail said that he would have to ask Bramblestar if she could even start training. Briarlight frowned at the memory. What is freedom if you cannot do your own will and make your own choices? Briarlight chose to train… and she also chose Jayfeather.

Why was everyone against them? The warrior code and the medicine cat code didn't allow for this sort of relationship to be occurring, but it was… _Rules were made to be broken,_ Briarlight's rebellious side said. Still, she couldn't bear to think about what the other warriors would think of all of this. She thought of her mother and how disappointed she would be. _Would she hate me?_ Briarlight wondered fearfully.

As if on cue, Millie waltzed into the medicine cat den. Briarlight was somewhat surprised, but at the same time knew that it was common for the warriors left behind to remain awake and wait for the others to return from the Gathering. "Hello, precious," the tabby she-cat purred, nuzzling her ear. "Are you feeling alright? Are you hungry?"

Briarlight sighed and shook her head. "No, mother. I'm fine," she meowed somewhat dejectedly.

Millie took a step toward her and sniffed her hesitantly. "Are you sure? You don't look well! Should I go get Leafpool? Are you feeling dizzy at all? Or queasy? Jayfeather will be back any moment—"

"Calm down, mother," Briarlight hissed, getting annoyed with her mother's constant worry. "I'm fine… just tired," she lied.

Her words did little to console her mother. "Are you sure?" she asked for the thousandth time.

"Yes!" Briarlight growled. "I am fine! I'm not a helpless kit mother! I can take care of myself for StarClan's sake, so can't you get off my back?!"

Millie backed off, her eyes wide with shock. Even Briarlight was surprised by her own sharpness. She didn't know what came over her—something inside just snapped. All of her emotions were being contained in one taught rubber band that just couldn't take the stress any longer and broke, stinging those around her. Briarlight looked at her paws. "I'm sorry, mother… I'm just so… so overwhelmed right now. So much is going on and I'm just… confused and scared I guess."

Her mother immediately softened. "Oh, darling, it's alright," she soothed, licking the space between her ears gently. "I understand that you're going through so many things right now, and… and I know that I can be overprotective of you. I know that I can be more of a burden than a blessing, but everything I do I do with your best interest at heart, sweet pea. I love you more than anything and I don't want anything else bad to happen to you again."

Briarlight felt reassured by her mother's words and leaned into her, enjoying her sweet scent. For a moment, she imagined herself back in the nursery with her littermates snuggling beside her, suckling from their mother's belly.

The shout of a warrior from outside made Briarlight snap out of her reverie. "Bramblestar, what happened?" Bumblestripe inquired from outside.

Millie bid her a quiet farewell before exiting the den to see what had gone on. For a moment, Briarlight was unsure whether or not she wanted to face Jayfeather. After a moment's hesitation, she rested her head on her paws, closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep. It didn't take long for her to hear the footfalls of her favorite medicine cat. A moment later, his familiar scent washed over her, soothing her nerves.

A moment later, Briarlight's heart leapt into her throat as she felt Jayfeather's soft tail run along her flank. Blood roared in her ears as adrenaline pumped through her. Why was it that this tom's touch sent an electric shockwave through her entire body? Why did he have such a massive effect on her?

Briarlight didn't hear anyone approach, but Jayfeather's jump told her all she needed. "What do you want?" he hissed at the unknown cat.

Leafpool let out a sigh. "Jayfeather," she meowed, her voice sounding tremendously strained. "Please do not make the same mistakes I made. Please. I couldn't bear to see you in my situation."

Briarlight's heart beat accelerated as she waited for Jayfeather's response. Memories flooded back to her of the fateful day when Hollyleaf, Jayfeather's own sister exposed their secret to the Clans—they were the kits of Leafpool, the ThunderClan medicine cat, and Crowfeather, a WindClan warrior. That day was burned into Briarlight's mind; even though she had been fairly young, she remembered every detail perfectly.

"It won't get that far," Jayfeather finally answered, but there was a sense of uncertainty in his tone. Briarlight knew that he didn't believe his own words—if her assumptions were correct, he cared for her and they were both in over their heads in this inconceivable affair.

"That's what I told myself," Leafpool murmured, her voice coming out half-strangled. "And look what happened."

Briarlight could hear the growl rising in her lover's throat, but he controlled it and pushed out of the den, leaving the two she-cats alone. She listened with a heavy heart as the gray-furred tomcat's footsteps faded away. An icy fear ran its way down Briarlight's spine as she struggled to keep still and pretend to be asleep. Leafpool wasn't leaving. Would she see that Briarlight was faking her peaceful slumber? Would she demand answers to this whole charade? Would she try to convince her to abandon the love of her life?

"I know you are awake, young one," she finally sighed. Briarlight felt the ground tremble slightly as the former medicine cat sat back on her haunches. "Your breathing is too irregular."

Biting back a sharp retort, Briarlight allowed her eyes to open. She braced herself for the fury—both Leafpool's and her own but they never came. The two just sat there, gazing at each other with solemn faces. Finally, Leafpool broke the uneasy silence. "Briarlight," she began carefully. "I am not here to yell, or berate you. Consider this a persuasive conviction if you will. You know my story, Briarlight. You were not so young that you did not learn of my 'betrayal' to the Clans."

"Falling in love shouldn't be considered a betrayal," Briarlight muttered, her anger flaring. "How can we control our feelings? What if it was meant to be? What if we were just… I don't know programmed to be in love with that cat? I mean… they say to put your Clan above everything, but what about your own happiness? All of the Clans want the same things: happiness, good lives for their kits, survival… why can't we all get along?"

Leafpool gazed at her kindly. "Briarlight, for being so young, your wisdom surprises me. You speak the truth, yes, we all want the same things in general, but we each have our personal desires as well. The Clans were divided long ago for their differences. We can coexist to some extent, but in the end, it is our differences that separate us."

"But it shouldn't be that way!" Briarlight protested. "Besides, this isn't even about stupid Clan rivalries! This is about Jayfeather and me, and that isn't even any of your business!"

The former medicine cat let out a sorrowful sigh. "I am only trying to help you, Briarlight. I know what it is like to go through this and it is not something that you can shrug off. Jayfeather says that it is not serious, but I believe that it is. I know what a foolish, carefree, passionate romance can turn into. I've lived it, Briarlight. I don't want that to happen. It's not a pleasant experience in the least."

Briarlight refused to look at her and focused on a beetle crawling across the floor of the den. "I'm not stupid and I'm not going to make the same mistakes you made. Jayfeather and I are careful, and it's nowhere near that serious!"

Leafpool shook her head tiredly. "Are you sure there is nothing I can do to dissuade you from this?"

The crippled warrior nodded. "Nothing you say will stop me from loving him."

The brown tabby nodded gravely. "I respect and regret your decision. I just pray to StarClan that you two know what you are doing." With that, she left Briarlight alone in the den, waiting for Jayfeather to return.

* * *

A/N: So what'd you think of this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more! :D


	9. Chapter 8

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 8_

_This chapter is a bit sad. :( Yellowfang goes too far._

_I don't own Warriors, it belongs to Erin Hunter._

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"_Where there is desire_

_There is gonna be a flame_

_Where there is a flame_

_Someone's bound to get burned_

_But just because it burns_

_Doesn't mean you're gonna die_

_You've gotta get up and try try try_

_Gotta get up and try try try_

_You gotta get up and try try try_

_Eh, eh, eh_

_Funny how the heart can be deceiving_

_More than just a couple times_

_Why do we fall in love so easy_

_Even when it's not right"_

"_Try" by P!nk_

* * *

**Jayfeather**

* * *

_Sleep tugging at his paws, Jayfeather_ stepped into the medicine cat den to find Briarlight lying there waiting for him. He could feel her eyes on him as he padded past her without a word. Jayfeather knew that since he had been gone, the Clan had been talking about what happened in the medicine cat den that day with Tigerheart attacked, and he wouldn't have been surprised if Briarlight heard their gossip.

"Everyone seems to be talking about you," she commented as Jayfeather sat down in his nest.

Jayfeather couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I'm not worried," he answered dismissively. "If any of those fools actually had lives of their own, they'd stop talking about mine. Those warriors all gossip like queens in the nursery."

Briarlight was silent for a long moment. "I suppose you're right… Leafpool talked to me after you left," she meowed suddenly.

Jayfeather sat up abruptly. His blind eyes flew to her and he strained his ears to pick up the slightest sound. "What did she say to you, and what did you say to her?" he demanded. He prayed to StarClan that Briarlight didn't give away too much information, not that it would matter. Leafpool knew exactly what was going on.

The brown tabby she-cat gazed at him, bewildered. "She told me that she didn't want us to do what she did, and I told her that nothing she said would keep me from loving you," she meowed quietly. Her voice sounded hesitant, and Jayfeather knew he had frightened her. Still, he could not help the fact that his heart soared at her words.

"Nothing will keep me from loving you, either," he whispered, pressing his muzzle to her ear gently.

* * *

A quarter of a moon had passed since Leafpool visited the two in the medicine cat den the night of the Gathering. Jayfeather was now exiting the ThunderClan camp, and on his way to the Moonpool to meet with the other medicine cats. Jayfeather was dreading standing before StarClan and having them scold him for his behavior. _What will I tell them?_ he wondered as he made his way toward the WindClan border. _I cannot control myself when it comes to Briarlight… but who would even understand what I feel if I did tell the truth?_

He continued to ponder this as the WindClan scent grew stronger. It wasn't long before he reached the border, the moon already high in the sky, casting silver light down over the moors. Jayfeather gazed at it dismally—the beauty of nature itself could not calm the ball of nerves that was weighing down his gut.

"Greetings Jayfeather," a familiar voice greeted off to his left.

The ThunderClan medicine cat turned to see none other than Willowshine, the RiverClan medicine cat standing there. Jayfeather returned the pleasantry and padded up to her. "How are things going on the other side of the lake?" he inquired casually. He hoped that maybe engaging in conversation with the young she-cat would get his mind off more stressful matters.

Willowshine sighed. "Alright, I suppose. One of our elders, Pouncetail, died this morning. The rest of the Clan are sitting vigil for her now… She had a really bad cough that just wouldn't go away. I was so worried, and I didn't know what to do," she sighed, hanging her head. "Mothwing would have known what to do."

Jayfeather gazed at her sympathetically and rested his tail on her shoulder blade. "You are a gifted healer, Willowshine, but you can't save every cat. No one can. Some are beyond repair," he assured her gently.

"Like Briarlight?" she asked suddenly, taking Jayfeather off guard. "You can't fix her back."

Nodding, Jayfeather sighed. "No. I cannot fix her back, but I've kept her alive. You can only do so much for some."

Willowshine appeared like she wanted to say more, but a voice sounded nearby. "There you two are!" Kestrelflight, the WindClan medicine cat meowed, bounding toward them. "I was waiting further up the trail," he explained. Jayfeather could feel the tom's eyes on him, but did nothing to show it. "Do you think ShadowClan will come?" Kestrelflight asked, conversationally.

Jayfeather flattened his ears against his head. "Lilystem and Fogpaw are medicine cats, and not to come would be breaking our sacred oath to not let Clan rivalries split between us," he replied sharply. However, a part of him did wonder whether or not the ShadowClan medicine cats would show their faces.

"Do you really think they still believed that you killed Flametail?" Willowshine inquired in a whisper.

Jayfeather remained silent.

"Well I know that Dawnpelt and Tigerheart still do," Kestrelflight answered her as if Jayfeather wasn't present. "I heard that they were planning to—"

"Will you two grow up?!" Jayfeather hissed at them. "You two are gossiping like queens in the nursery! We're medicine cats! We should not worry about silly Clan rivalries, and what warriors do with their spare time unless it is our own. You two should be ashamed of yourselves!"

_Hypocrite!_ a voice inside him snarled. _How dare you scold them when you love Briarlight?_

The three cats waited another moon-shift in silence for the ShadowClan medicine cats to show; they didn't. "We should go on ahead without them," Kestrelflight suggested, puffing out his fur. "It's kind of chilly out tonight, and it's nearly moonhigh."

"Yes," Willowshine agreed. "We should be on our way."

Jayfeather nodded weakly, before turning in the direction of the rocky path that led up to the Moonpool. The three cats walked in silence, all seeming to be lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the hollow where the starry pool lay, Jayfeather took in a deep breath. _Into the fire I go,_ he thought grimly. Willowshine and Kestrelflight had stepped up beside him and were all staring into the pool. The WindClan medicine cat was the first to lean down and lap up some of the water and lay down close to one of the smooth, stone walls. Willowshine followed swiftly after, leaving Jayfeather standing there with dread. With another deep breath, he lapped up some of the cold water and lay down close to the pool.

His eyelids grew heavy with a sleep he wished he could avoid. Dread manifested itself deep inside him before he slipped off into darkness.

* * *

Jayfeather woke in the middle of the forests of StarClan. He sat up to see Yellowfang standing there, her orange eyes scrutinizing him thoroughly. Neither spoke as she appraised him. Finally, she broke the silence, her voice eerily calm. "Do you think this is a game, Jayfeather?"

Her question took him by surprise. "A game?" he questioned, his ears flattening against his head. "No, why do you even entertain the notion? Do you have any idea how much danger I'm putting myself in being with her?" His anger was getting the better of him, and he struggled to subdue it. He mustn't lose his temper with Yellowfang.

Recognition flashed in her orange eyes. "You understand the danger, and the difficulty, and yet you continue."

"I love her," Jayfeather whispered, unable to come up with a better response.

A new look appeared on Yellowfang's face—pain? Understanding?—and then disappeared quickly. "I was afraid that you would say that," she confessed. "So I enlisted a little help to get you back onto the right path." She turned around, flicking her tail for the unknown cat to come forward.

Jayfeather watched with horror as a pale white she-cat with green eyes approached them. He recognized her instantly, and her image alone made his heart shatter. Pain enveloped him to the point that he unsheathed his claws and dug them into the supple soil. He clamped his eyes shut and ground his teeth together, biting back a yowl of anguish. Tears brimmed behind his eyelids, but he refused to let them fall.

"Jay's Wing… Jay's Wing, my love," Half-Moon meowed, coming closer still to him. "Why? Why, Jay's Wing? Why do you do this to me? Why do you hurt me like this? Look at me, my love."

He opened his eyes, and felt the tears overflow. "Half-Moon," he whispered. Even though his voice wasn't loud, his voice still came out half-strangled. Nothing—absolutely nothing—could have prepared him for this. He loved Half-Moon, and it nearly destroyed him to leave her in the mountains all those moons ago when he still traveled back in time to help the Tribe of Rushing Water. Now, now Briarlight had replaced her… but he could never forget Half-Moon. She had always been there—a shadow in the back of his mind, haunting his dreams.

"Why, Jay's Wing? Why?" she asked again. He risked a look at her, and saw that tears were staining the white fur of her cheeks. It tortured him to see that beautiful creature in such pain because of him. "Why are you doing this? I thought you loved me."

"I do love you," he choked out.

"But you said that you would love no other," she reminded him. Her voice was gentle, but pain-stricken.

"I know… I know…"

"Why did you lie to me? Why did you choose her?"

Jayfeather couldn't speak. He just looked at Yellowfang through his teary eyes. He saw that Yellowfang too appeared upset by the whole situation. Finally, he cleared his throat and looked at the former medicine cat. "Why do you do this to me?" he asked. "_Why?!_" he yowled. There was no way he could go back Briarlight and be with her after this.

Yellowfang just sat there and sighed. "I had to. Briarlight will destroy you."

"_Jayfeather!_" a voice called. It was soft, and far away. Jayfeather clawed at the grass as he saw Half-Moon and Yellowfang begin to fade. "

"No!" he yowled, seeing Half-Moon turn away from him. "Don't go! Half-Moon, don't go!"

"You don't love me anymore," she whispered simply, before disappearing completely. With a startled yowl, Jayfeather awoke in the stony hollow of the Moonpool, face to face with the last cat he wanted to see—Breezepelt.

* * *

A/N: DUN-DUN-DUH! Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more! :D


	10. Chapter 9

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 9_

_This chapter is from Briarlight's point of view just to make you guys all mad at me. XD Hope you like it. I have a poster that says something similar to the snail shell thing. :) Briarlight's dream is very important and will be mentioned over and over throughout the story._

_I do not own Warriors, it belongs to Erin Hunter._

* * *

**Chapter 9**

* * *

_"Save me from my superstitions _

_Now I'm free from this old condition _

_Wait just a while _

_And I'll greet you with a smile _

_Hold me cause I'm sure I hated _

_Promises they are overrated _

_Wait just a while _

_While I'm drowning in denial _

_Turn me into someone like you _

_Find a place that we can go to _

_Run away and take me with you _

_Don't let go I need your rescue"_

_-"Save Me" by Muse_

* * *

**Briarlight**

* * *

_Jayfeather hadn't been gone for even_ a moon-shift when Brightheart, Cloudtail, and Bramblestar entered the medicine cat den. Briarlight sat up abruptly. _Are they here to talk to me about my training? Well, they sure took long enough!_ she thought, but then tried to push her indignant feelings aside and try to be optimistic. "Can I help you?" she inquired casually, as if she were not about to explode with joy.

Bramblestar sat down and wrapped his dark brown tail around his paws. "Brightheart tells me that you want to start training again."

Something about the way Bramblestar said "again" boosted Briarlight's confidence. Maybe he still considered her a warrior, or an asset rather than a burden. "Yes, I would like to," she mewed. "I wouldn't mind learning some more battle moves to help defend the medicine cat den. I remember Brightheart told me that she and Cloudtail were able to invent a special fighting style for Brightheart and her one eye, so maybe they could help me."

Bramblestar nodded. "I understand, but the medicine cat den shouldn't have to be defended. Medicine cats are meant to be neutral when it comes to Clan politics."

Biting back a sharp retort, Briarlight looked down. "I want to help my Clan!"

The leader's tone softened immensely as he replied, "Briarlight, you are helping the Clan by being in here and helping Jayfeather."

"You could live without me," she muttered in response.

He nodded. "Perhaps we could, just as we could live without the warriors outside asleep in the warriors' den, but it does not mean that they do not help. They protect this Clan, and keep these cats fed—"

"But I'm not doing any of that, am I?" Briarlight demanded, cutting him off. "I'm not protecting the Clan, or hunting for them! I am just a waste of space! I want to help!"

"Maybe you should consider becoming Jayfeather's apprentice," Brightheart suggested suddenly. "I'm sure he would appreciate the help."

Flattening her ears against her head, Briarlight let out a hiss. "Oh, so you think that because I can't walk, and I have a disability I should be a medicine cat? That might have worked for Jayfeather, but not me!"

Everyone was silent. Bramblestar sighed and shook his head. "Briarlight, I admire your dedication, and your desire to help this Clan, but there is nothing you can do that would help us."

Refusing to show her pain, Briarlight stubbornly looked away. "I don't believe that, and if you all won't help me, then I'll find a way to do it myself!"

Briarlight closed her eyes and heard the paw steps of her Clan-mates fade away. _I am not a helpless kit, and if everyone in this stupid Clan is going to treat me like Millie does, then maybe I don't want to be here anymore!_ she thought angrily.

Hearing more paw steps approach, she opened her eyes reluctantly just as Leafpool stepped into the medicine cat den. "Briarlight…"

"Yeah, I know you probably heard," she snapped. "I don't need another lecture. My words from before still stand—nothing you say will change my mind!"

Sighing, Leafpool rolled something across the floor toward Briarlight that caught her attention. It was an empty snail shell that appeared to have been abandoned long ago. Briarlight just stared at it in confusion. _What in the name of StarClan does this mean?!_

"Everyone must carry with them the world in which they choose to live. Your destiny is a complicated one, but you don't need to make it more so. The choices you make will influence your life. One mistake—no matter how tiny it may be—can have massive repercussions. I am trying to help you, Briarlight—you and Jayfeather both. The time to be young and foolish is gone now. There is no room for mistakes like mine. You don't understand the importance. Please, Briarlight, I implore you to listen to my words," Leafpool meowed. There was a desperate, pleading look in her eyes that Briarlight could not ignore.

_Maybe she is right… Maybe it would be best if I stopped this nonsense with Jayfeather before it gets out of hand… but I love him,_ Briarlight thought sadly. "I understand what you are saying, Leafpool," she replied at last.

The medicine cat exhaled in relief.

"But I can't change what I feel," she added after a moment. "I love him."

Leafpool hung her head. "I figured as much… I just pray to StarClan that you don't lose him like I lost Crowfeather in the end."

* * *

It took Briarlight ages when she fell asleep, but once she did, she had a foreboding dream. She awoke in a dark place with thorns and brambles enclosing her in a tight space. In her dream, she could feel her back legs and tail—a feeling she now cherished greatly—and could feel the pain as the thorns dug into her rump. It seemed as if the briars were closing in close around her.

Without giving it too much thought, she let out a yowl and charged forward, desperate to escape. Brambles snagged her fur, and thorns dug into her side. It wasn't long before she reached an open space. She expected the air to be fresh and clean now that she was in the open, but it was still musty and almost damp-smelling. Silver moonlight slanted through the tangled, gnarled tree branches that towered above her head, making the grass of the clearing appear a dull, ghostly shade of green. In the center, on a tiny mound covered in grass lay a jay's feather.

Tentatively, Briarlight padded forward toward the feather. A breeze ruffled her fur and blew over the feather, but it only swayed in the breeze as if held down to the ground. Paw outstretched, she poked at it once, and the feather immediately shriveled up as if it were a dying flower. It turned black, and lost all softness. Briarlight stared at what was now a pile of ash in shock. Another gust of wind blew the remnants of the feather away, leaving Briarlight alone.

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, then click on my username to see more! :D


	11. Chapter 10

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 10_

_In this Chapter, we see more of the plot... :) Thanks for waiting for this chapter._

_I do not own Warriors - Erin Hunter does._

* * *

**Chapter 10**

* * *

_"Wake to see_

_Your true emancipation is a fantasy_

_Policies_

_Have risen up and overcome the brave_

_Greatness dies_

_Unsung and lost, invisible to history_

_Embedded spies_

_Brainwashing our children to be mean_

_You don't have long_

_I am on to you_

_The time, it has come to destroy_

_Your supremacy_

_Supremacy"_

_-"Supremacy" by Muse_

* * *

**Jayfeather**

* * *

_Jayfeather's lips curled back in a_ as he faced his half-brother. "What are you doing here mange-pelt?!" he hissed. As he looked around, he noticed that the other medicine cats were missing. _Where are they? Am I still dreaming?_ he wondered before pushing the trivial thoughts from his mind and focusing on Breezepelt.

"Keep your fur on, brother dearest. I'm not going to hurt you… yet. I've been sent to deliver a message," Breezepelt replied with a sneer.

Everything about the black tom told Jayfeather not to let his guard down, so he kept his claws unsheathed, ready to defend himself. "Anyone foolish enough to send you to relay a message does not deserve to be listened to," he growled, his fur bristling. This wasn't right—it couldn't be. Why was Breezepelt allowed on StarClan ground—holy ground—after he had trained alongside Dark Forest warriors. Why hadn't StarClan forbade him to set paw here again? And where were the other medicine cats?

"You'd be surprised how many trust me even after my… mistakes at the Great Battle," Breezepelt meowed, beginning to circle him. Jayfeather could hear his paws run across the stone of the hollow of the Moonpool, and was disgusted by it. _Cats like him do not belong in the presence of StarClan!_ "Cats seem to… respect me actually. They fear me, and fear what I could do to them if they do not follow my will."

Jayfeather allowed a growl to rip from his chest. He was not exactly the calmest, level-headed cat in ThunderClan, but there was something about Breezepelt that just utterly repulsed him. "StarClan will dispose of you one day, and then you will go down with your former Clan-mates were you belong!" he spat, crouching down and struggling not to spring.

Breezepelt smiled as if he hadn't even heard Jayfeather's words. "I know about your pathetic little romance with that crippled she-cat, and so do three other individuals. I also know that you killed Flametail that day on the lake when the ice broke."

The gray cat let out a yowl of rage and stomped his paw on the ground. He was so tired of all these accusations. He did not kill Flametail! Flametail told Littlecloud, the former ShadowClan medicine cat, that Jayfeather had tried to save him! Why did they still persist the lie? "I didn't! I did not kill him, you lying, fox-faced son of a badger, and you know it!" he screeched.

"Perhaps I do," his black brother allowed, continuing to circle him. "But there are others who don't believe you, or your little StarClan hoax."

_Dawnpelt and Tigerheart,_ Jayfeather thought. That was obvious. They clearly blamed him for the death of their brother and would except no other explanation. _But who is the third cat? Breezepelt mentioned a third… There is no way that any of the others could know about my affections for Briarlight unless they were inside ThunderClan and had been watching us… But the only one who knows is… Leafpool! But… would she really tell them?_

"Well then they are all mouse-brained fools blinded by grief and stupidity!" Jayfeather hissed half-heartedly. Even though the words left his mouth, his mind was somewhere else, the wheels turning as he struggled to figure out who the third cat Breezepelt spoke of was.

"Grief can breed hate you know," Breezepelt commented without warning. "I know that much… They really do hate you, and they will not stop until the one thing you love above all else is dead."

His half-brother needn't elaborate any further. Jayfeather's blood ran cold in his veins as he deciphered the clear meaning: Briarlight would be killed by one of them eventually, and he had to protect her. _They will not kill her! I will do whatever I have to to make her safe again._ "Where are the other medicine cats?" he inquired despite the wail that rose in the back of his throat.

"Gone," he replied simply. "ShadowClan never arrived, and the other two had left once I'd shown up."

Jayfeather kept his ears and mouth ajar, carefully tracking Breezepelt's movements. Slowly, he began to make his way out of the hollow toward the WindClan territory. He could hear Breezepelt keeping pace with him, not about to let him slip away. An icy wind suddenly slapped Jayfeather in the face. He smelt rain on the wind and that made him curl his lips back. The heaviness in the air that came along with rain seemed to make Jayfeather's bones ache, and aspect of rain along with all of the revelations he'd received that morning did not seem appealing. "If you aren't going to kill me," Jayfeather began trying to get Breezepelt into a monologue so he could escape and find a ThunderClan patrol. "Then why did you come here to tell me of their plans? Wouldn't you, Tigerheart, Dawnpelt, and the fourth want the element of surprise?" he sneered.

The black tom stepped in front of him before he could even reach the mouth of hollow. "Because it's more fun this way," Breezepelt meowed, as if the answer were obvious. He let out a low, sick chuckle. "We want some… er… competition shall we call it?—in this game, Jayfeather."

"You call this a game, and if it is, it a sick and twisted one! How dare you speak of deliberate murder on sacred ground!?" hear nearly yowled in outrage. Breezepelt must have some nerve after training with the Dark Forest that he returns to the presence of StarClan. "I hope that StarClan sends you to the deepest, darkest part of the Dark Forest where you belong you snake-tongued traitor!"

The WindClan cat just chuckled once more. "StarClan are a bunch of weak fools! They know nothing of me, or of the power of the Dark Forest! They can do nothing to harm me."

Just then, thunder cracked, and Jayfeather could tell by the sounds and Breezepelt's reaction that lighting flashed across the sky. It struck the ground very close to the tip of his half-brother's tail causing him to cry out in surprise and shock. Without another word, he pelted out of the hollow and back toward his own territory. "Well that's a WindClan cat doing what it does best—run," Jayfeather meowed, laughing at himself. He raised his head to the cloudy sky above, and even though he couldn't see, he knew that StarClan was up there. "So you're still watching out for me, huh?" he wondered aloud before beginning the long trek back to camp.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	12. Chapter 11

_Warriors: The Forbidden Fruit - Chapter 11_

_Sorry the song is so long for this one._

_I don't own Warriors._

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**Chapter 11**

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"_Do you ever feel like breaking __down?_

_Do you ever feel out of place,_

_Like somehow you just don't belong_

_And no one understands you?_

_Do you ever wanna run away?_

_Do you lock yourself in your room_

_With the radio on turned up so loud_

_That no one hears you're screaming?_

_No, you don't know what it's like_

_When nothing feels all right_

_You don't know what it's like_

_To be like me_

_To be hurt_

_To feel lost_

_To be left out in the dark_

_To be kicked when you're down_

_To feel like you've been pushed around_

_To be on the edge of breaking down_

_And no one's there to save you_

_No, you don't know what it's like_

_Welcome to my life_

_Do you wanna be somebody else?_

_Are you sick of feeling so left out?_

_Are you desperate to find something more_

_Before your life is over?_

_Are you stuck inside a world you hate?_

_Are you sick of everyone around?_

_With their big fake smiles and stupid lies_

_While deep inside you're bleeding_

_No, you don't know what it's like_

_When nothing feels all right_

_You don't know what it's like_

_To be like me_

_To be hurt_

_To feel lost_

_To be left out in the dark_

_To be kicked when you're down_

_To feel like you've been pushed around_

_To be on the edge of breaking down_

_And no one's there to save you_

_No you don't know what it's like_

_Welcome to my life_

_No one ever lied straight to your face_

_And no one ever stabbed you in the back_

_You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay_

_Everybody always gave you what you wanted_

_You never had to work it was always there_

_You don't know what it's like, what it's like"_

_-"Welcome to My Life" by Simple Plan_

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**Briarlight**

* * *

Rain drummed on the roof of the medicine cat den rhythmically. The repetitive, dull sound seemed to almost lull Briarlight into a daze. Jayfeather had returned from the Moonpool just the day before and the rain had not ceased since. She hated the rain. She hated the dreary, listless gray skies. She hated the bored, melancholy feeling that became more dominant during the depressing weather.

Jayfeather was in the herb storage counting marigold and horsetail leaves. He'd barely spoke to her since his return. Why was he avoiding her all of a sudden? Had she done something wrong? Did StarClan warn him of horrible things if he continued to be with her? _Something isn't right,_ she decided finally. _I don't know what it is, or why he's doing it, but he has a reason, and for his sake I hope it's a good one!_

A part of her longed to drag herself into the herb storage demand the answers she coveted. However, another part couldn't bring herself to do it. Everything seemed to be going wrong! And the weather was not helping matters in the least. She'd never felt so useless and rejected in her life. "I'm a disgrace," she whispered sadly aloud.

"What was that?" the gray-furred medicine cat called from the storage. He emerged curiously, his ears pricked forward. Painstakingly, he studied her using all but his eyes. "Did you need something?"

She shook her head quickly. "No… I was just talking to myself," she added the last part after a moment in an effort to gain some emotion from him, sympathy or not.

He turned to leave again, and then paused. He turned back and cat down. "You may talk to me, if you like," he offered, curling his long, slender tail around his paws.

Briarlight felt like she wanted to scream. Why was Jayfeather doing this? Before she could stop herself, she voiced her thoughts. "Why are you doing this?"

His eyes widened for a moment before his brow furrowed in confusion. "Doing what?" he inquired, his lips curling upward at the edges in a small, devilish smirk.

_That son of a badger! He is playing games with me!_

"You know exactly what!" she hissed, her lips curling back in a snarl. "Stop playing games with me! You come back from the Moonpool and barely even speak to me! Now, you're acting as if nothing has happened! What is your problem?!" Her fury was beginning to consumer her, evolving from a simmering anger to a white-hot flame of rage.

Jayfeather didn't appear disturbed in the least by her change in attitude. He sat there, gazing at her with his clouded eyes, and after a moment, Briarlight finally saw annoyance flash in his eyes. "Perhaps I just didn't want to speak with you. Maybe I wanted to gather my own thoughts before trying to explain to you that Tigerheart and Dawnpelt still believe that I killed Flametail and are trying to kill you as revenge! And to tell you that Breezepelt is working with them along with a traitor inside ThunderClan who knows of us!" he spat. His voice rose steadily with every word until he was nearly yowling at her.

Briarlight just lay there, paralyzed. What Tigerheart had done when ShadowClan attacked suddenly made sense… but Jayfeather and Briarlight were not even in a mutual relationship. Someone must have seen their affections, or noticed the way they acted. That cat must also have been observing them right under their noses… or already knew of it. She tried to wonder who it could be when a chilling thought popped into her brain and sent a shiver down her spine. "Leafpool," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Despite her soft tone, Jayfeather's sharp ears didn't miss a thing. "Do you really think so?" he asked in a whisper. "I know that she knows about us but… would she really tell them about us so they could _kill_ you? That goes against the medicine cat code, and the warrior code! She's my mother and even though I don't like her much, I cannot believe that she would betray us like that."

His stubbornness annoyed Briarlight further. "If it's not her, then who else could it be?" she shot back, her own voice obstinate.

Jayfeather sighed. "I refuse to believe it," he said, his voice full of finalism. "It must be someone else! There is a traitor in this Clan, and I am going to find out who it is!" he snarled.

Briarlight stared at him worriedly. Something about his fury frightened her. She'd never truly seen Jayfeather angry—annoyed and short, yes—and it unnerved her. "I will try to help prove you're right," she whispered. "I don't want it to be Leafpool, but she is the most obvious choice."

He sighed once more and nodded. The tom then turned to face her, his face pained and troubled. "Briarlight… there is something I must tell you," he meowed. "Something… that I don't think you will like."

She stared at him for a moment. _What is it? What did he do? _"You can tell me, Jayfeather," she murmured, not sure if she was telling the truth.

Taking a deep breath, he began. "Briarlight… before… this relationship of ours had even began… before the Great Battle had even taken place, I used my powers and travelled back in time to the very beginning of the Tribe of Rushing Water. While back in time, I met a she-cat named Half-Moon," he paused there, and closed his eyes.

_A she-cat? Oh no… StarClan don't let this go where I think it is!_ she pleaded silently.

"She was… special. She was supposed to be the first Healer of the Tribe, and she ended up being that… However, during the time I spent in the past with the Tribe she and I grew close… We… We fell in love and… and became mates," he told her. His voice was beginning to falter, and Briarlight could hear that each word caused him great pain to utter.

_Great StarClan… Why?!_

"However, it was not meant to be. I had to come back to the present, and she had a greater destiny to become the Healer of the Tribe… When I went to the Moonpool, she visited me and asked me why I had betrayed her. I told her that I had found you… and that even though I love her, I love you too… Half-Moon is no longer in my life—she is a memory now. But you… you're real. You're here and I love you more than anything. I needed to tell you this because you deserve to know, but I want you to know that you don't need to feel threatened by it. I love you and only you… Forever."

Briarlight lay there, taking in his words. He had loved another… but he still loved her. He would always love her. She knew that he wasn't lying about that. "I love you too, Jayfeather," she whispered. "And… I don't mind it." Even though she spoke it, she didn't truly believe herself. _She will always be there… A shadow hanging over my head reminding me that I was not the first to have stolen his heart. _"I might not have been your first, but I intend to be your last."

Jayfeather's eyes flew to her face and his ears were angled toward her. His blue eyes were wide and his jaw slightly ajar at her words, but after a moment, his mouth closed and face relaxed. "I hope you are my last," he said finally. "I wouldn't want to be with any other. I will protect you, no matter what."

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


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